This common Mediterranean plant has a strange distribution. It is found commonly in southern Spain nearest to Gibraltar but rarely elsewhere on the Iberian peninsula. It is dotted throughout central Europe and even in Scandinavia too. Elsewhere it is fairly easy to find in some Aegean islands, Crete, Rhodes, Cyprus, Sardinia and parts of north Africa nearest to Spain. I found and photographed this plant on Gozo as well as Spain and Crete.

It has the typical trifoliate leaves of a Lotus species and the deep red and black flowers are unmistakable. For many years and in many floras the name was given as Tetragonolobus purpureus.

Lotus tetragonolobus Asparagus Pea Roadside verge near Ano Stallos, Crete 6th April 2007 Previous   Next	Lotus tetragonolobus Asparagus Pea Grazelema region, Andalucia, Spain 28th March 2017 Previous   Next
Lotus tetragonolobus Asparagus Pea	Lotus tetragonolobus Asparagus Pea

LHS: Dried up river bed Nr Cortijo Valverde, Andalucia, Spain 28th (LHS) 26th (RHS) March 2008

Added on 4th January 2007, updated 14th February 2012, updated 12th August 2018, updated 22nd August 2018